AT&T Networking Exchange Blog » Lisa Durretthttp://networkingexchangeblog.att.com
Connect, engage and innovate with our network and technology experts, and explore new ways to power your business.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 22:13:56 +0000en-UShourly13 Customer Relationship-Building Goals for 2014 http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/small-business/3-customer-relationship-building-goals-2014/
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Lisa Durrett http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/author/lisa-durrettSocial Media|Workforce Collaborationhttp://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/?p=35272Keeping up with my favorite businesses has become part of my daily routine. I check the class schedules on my yoga studio’s Facebook page and look for emails about sales and events at local stores. By making it so easy to get the information I need, these businesses are saving me valuable time, not to mention increasing my loyalty toward them.

A recent AT&T poll*shows which online tools small businesses use most to build customer relationships. This got me thinking about how they might make those relationships even stronger. Here are three tips to try in the months ahead:

Refresh old strategies

Email ranked highest among the outreach tools small businesses use, with 43 percent saying it’s the main way they build relationships with customers and prospects. Are your emails as effective as they could be? Try segmenting messages based on what you know about your subscribers. For example, you might notice that some customers tend to open emails about a certain product or service, and could target those subscribers with similar emails.

Websites also ranked high in the poll, with 35 percent calling the company website a key way to building relationships. Does your site accurately reflect your products or services and highlight what visitors need before contacting or visiting you? Make sure you know which keywords they use to find your site, and consider whether optimizing your site for other keywords could help attract more prospects. This blog post offers more tips for polishing your website.

Explore mobile marketing

One thing that struck me about the poll results was the low number of businesses using mobile marketing. Make 2014 the year you change this. First, check how your website renders on different devices. If pages are slow to load or require a lot of scrolling to find information, consider a mobile website tool to build a mobile-friendly version of your current site.

When emailing customers, keep messages short and minimize the use of images so they are easy to read on smartphones. You might also explore using text messages. This can be particularly effective for announcing daily specials, extending special deals or sending appointment reminders.

Get strategic with social media

Many small business owners use social media to maintain awareness and build relationships. No matter which social platforms you are on, reviewing how you use them might help you get more from your efforts. A few ideas:

Post regularly.

If you post to your social media pages only a few times a month, you may be losing valuable opportunities to build relationships with customers. Tap into their preferred channel to increase open and response rates and get your message heard. Post more frequently — at least a few times a week — and respond to comments, including critical ones.

Improve service.

One of social media’s greatest strengths is that it can help businesses learn more about their customers and find ways to serve them better. Ask your Facebook or Twitter fans for feedback on how you can serve them better.

Branch out.

Depending on your business and audience, it may be worthwhile to use more than Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. For example, companies with highly visual work might try Pinterest or Instagram to share images and photos. Creating YouTube videos, such as tutorials showing how to use a product, can also boost your presence.

How are you improving your outreach in 2014? Please share your thoughts.

*The Small Business Omnibus poll was fielded October 28-30, 2013, among 294 decision-makers with 1-99 employees. Interviews were conducted online through the U.S. Research Now business panel. Panelists indicated that they participate in decisions to purchase supplies or services for their companies and have more than $100,000 in annual revenue.

]]>0’Tis the Season to Give Back to Your Community http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/small-business/tis-season-give-back-community/
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Lisa Durrett http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/author/lisa-durrettSmall Businesshttp://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/?p=34543One aspect of the holidays that I enjoy most is seeing communities come together to support local charities and causes. While many local business owners see giving back as part of the job, a new AT&T poll suggests it may also contribute to their success.Two-thirds of the small businesses polled actively promote their community commitment, while 44 percent said being small and rooted in their neighborhoods actually gives them a sales advantage.

Businesses can have a greater impact when they encourage their customers to get involved. Here are four ideas that I’ve seen work especially well, both during the holidays and at other points during the year:

Offer discounts in exchange for charity contributions

You and your employees might already donate to an area food pantry or families in need. Opening up the effort to your customers can help create a sense of shared purpose. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation suggests these tips for running a successful toy drive. You can also reward customers for participating with paper or mobile coupons. For example, to help a local food drive, an auto repair shop could send a text message to customers offering a coupon for 5 percent off an oil change for every two canned goods donated.

Spread the word

Small businesses can use their community stature to educate customers about the good work their favorite charities do. Spotlight these organizations in your marketing messages, and let customers know how they might get involved. Strengthen your messages by showing customers how your business is contributing. For example, a restaurant could tell its Facebook followers that for every appetizer ordered before 6 p.m. on a given day, $2 will be donated to the local volunteer fire department. The restaurant could also create a Twitter hashtag for the promotion and ask customers to share the news with their friends and neighbors.

Donate to organizations your customers support

Churches, schools and charity events often need gift certificates or merchandise to sell at fundraisers. Many are in need of volunteers, too. You can get involved and help your business at the same time. For example, an accounting firm could offer to do a church’s tax return free of charge or for a low fee. Church members will appreciate the help and may even become customers as news of the firm’s good deed spreads.

Ask employees for help

Matching your community-giving program with your employees’ interests helps make your staff feel good, and it sends a message to your customers that your business is giving back as a team. Nearly half (49 percent) of the businesses AT&T polled said their employees are already active in their communities, so getting behind these efforts can be a natural way to amplify their impact.

For example, if an employee is involved in an after-school program, you might schedule a day to come as a team to read to children in the program. Or, if a staff member volunteers to help clean a local park, you could schedule a day for you and your entire staff to do this once or twice a year. Share your experience with customers through your social media pages. This may encourage them to volunteer themselves, and it can help build goodwill that benefits your business.

The National Federation of Independent Business offers some other ways for businesses to connect with their communities. What are you doing to support your local area? Share your comments below.

]]>0Make Every Day A Shop Local Day http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/small-business/make-every-day-shop-local-day/
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Lisa Durrett http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/author/lisa-durrettSmall Businesshttp://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/?p=34239We’re just days away from Small Business Saturday®, my favorite shopping day of the year. Celebrated the Saturday after Thanksgiving each year, it’s a time for consumers to support local businesses and recognize the contributions they make to their communities. Millions of other shoppers share my enthusiasm, spending $5.5 billion on last year’s day alone.

Small Business Saturday strikes such a strong chord because it reminds us of what makes our communities special. A recent AT&T poll suggests that small businesses benefit from this sentiment year-round. In fact, 79 percent of business owners say they enjoy running a small business, and 47 percent say it actually gives them a sales advantage. Given that most of these businesses lack the marketing resources of their larger counterparts, that finding speaks volumes.

The power of local connections

The poll also offered insights into how small businesses can make the most of their local ties. Here are four areas I suggest focusing on:

Provide superior service.

I rely on the sales clerks at my favorite stores to know what I like, guide me to the items I routinely buy, and follow up after purchases to make sure I’m happy. These expectations aren’t lost on small business owners: 26 percent of those surveyed give top priority to providing superior service. Want to build on the good service you already provide? Consider starting a loyalty program or using social media to respond to customers more quickly. One simple step I’ve seen some businesses take is snail-mailing birthday cards to loyal customers. Acts like these can signal customers how much you appreciate their business.

Strengthen your brand.

Having a strong business personality or brand can help your company stand out. This doesn’t mean being gimmicky—rather, it means making the most of your strengths. Twenty-one percent of the businesses surveyed say developing a distinct personality is key.A wine store might build its name by offering selections from hard-to-find vineyards, while a computer repair shop could provide fast, dependable service and guarantee its work.

Share your experience.

Part of what makes Small Business Saturday so special is that it highlights small businesses’ connections to their communities. Hosting events year-round can reinforce these ties. A gourmet food store in my neighborhood hosts weekly cooking demonstrations highlighting different parts of the world, which is a nice way to educate customers and entice them to keep coming back. Businesses could host a range of events, including open houses, classes, and workshops. These give businesses a chance to share their expertise and showcase what makes them unique.

Build relationships.

Staying in contact with customers through tools — such as email, social media, and text messaging – is an important way to build relationships. Along with announcing new products and services, businesses can send appointment reminders, offer exclusive discounts, and share useful tips. Forty-five percent of the small business owners polled use some form of technology to strengthen customer relationships. As more consumers use smartphones, creating a mobile-friendly website and exploring such tools as location-based services can be other ways to build relationships.

Check out the American Express Shop Small® website for more resources that can help you stand out. Share your plans for Small Business Saturday in comments below.

]]>0How Technology Can Boost Team Results http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/small-business/how-technology-can-boost-team-results/
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Lisa Durrett http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/author/lisa-durrettCloud|Cloud Enabled Business|Small Businesshttp://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/?p=33233In a previous post, I pointed to ways to improve your personal productivity as you lead your small business. Some of my suggestions included taking advantage of cloud tools at home, upgrading your email system, and using a tablet.

Now that you’re running at peak efficiency, the next logical question is: how can you help make your employees more productive, too? The answer again involves the Internet. By capitalizing on its connective power, you can really boost your staff’s productivity—whether they’re in the office, at an offsite location, or on the road. Try these three approaches:

1. Store documents on the cloud.

With the emergence of the Web, employees began collaborating by swapping files via email. This marked a huge step forward, but it also created some difficulties. How many times have you started to work on a document and discovered it’s not the latest version? Or, how many times have you found a file on your server after hours when there is no one to check with and been unsure if it is the right one?

This problem disappears when you store documents on the cloud. Employees who call up these documents always see the last version and view previous ones if they wish. They can access the files from any location, at any time, using a tablet, smartphone, or just about any other Web-connected device.

2. Collaborate through virtual meetings.

Technology has also made it easier for your employees to meet and collaborate personally. Most small businesses now use teleconferencing—who’s not accustomed to sitting around a table and engaging with that little box! Now, video has been added to the mix, allowing people to work as if they were sitting together. Videoconferencing not only helps increase productivity but can significantly reduce your company’s travel costs.

3. Access the latest versions of favorite applications.

The cloud also gives you access to advanced business productivity software. No longer do you need to buy packages for PCs or a server and then buy new versions when your current ones go out of date. A good cloud provider will offer access to best-of-breed accounting, customer relationship management, and other business productivity packages, then update them automatically whenever new versions appear.

Also look for opportunities to give business productivity apps to your employees. Software apps are now available for a range of common business functions, including monitoring sales force activities, capturing data and submitting forms, launching marketing campaigns, and tracking company vehicles. The more you automate these processes, the more productive your employees are likely to be.

Look to the cloud for backup and security

Your employees can only be productive if your network remains stable and secure. No one can work well on a platform that constantly crashes or is plagued by viruses and other malware.

The cloud can come in handy here as well. In a good cloud system, everything your employees work on will be backed up over the Internet whenever they hit “Enter,” and they can restore lost data quickly. Your cloud provider should also offer cutting-edge encryption and other security features, along with an online tech support service that can remove malware from your network if it becomes infected.

By the way, if you plan to upgrade your technology to boost productivity this year, you’re in good company: 46 percent of small business owners expect to do the same, according to the recent AT&T Accelerate Your Business Broadband Poll.

Does this post give you some ideas for helping your staff become more productive? I’d love to hear what you’re doing.

]]>0Drive Change In Your Community http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/small-business/drive-change-in-your-community/
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Lisa Durrett http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/author/lisa-durrettSmall Businesshttp://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/?p=32935As a business owner, you play a key role in your community. You’ve probably become friends with many longtime customers and colleagues. You may even know their birthdays, their pets’ names, and how their children are doing in school. On a local level, you might be active in civic groups and events.

You have influence in your community that few others have—and this influence could help save lives. At AT&T, we are asking all business owners to take the It Can Wait® pledge to never text and drive and to spread the word to your family, friends, employees, and others around you.

Take a stand

Think about other ways behavior has been changed over the years. You might remember the commercials back in the ’80s urging people to wear their seatbelts. In 1983, only 14 percent of us buckled up compared with 86 percent today, according to the Highway Loss Data Institute. The commercials and laws certainly played a role, but so did the influence of our family, friends, and peers. I expect we’ll see a similar trend with texting and driving, and that it won’t take nearly as long.

We’re already making progress. More than 1.2 million people signed the pledge after the 2012 It Can Wait campaign, and one in three said the texting-and-driving message has affected their driving habits. But there’s still more work to be done. A 2013 AT&T Commuter Survey found nearly half of commuters and 43 percent of teens still text while driving.

How can you urge others to take a stand against texting and driving? Here are three ways:

1. Lead by example.

Don’t drive distracted. This means no texting, emailing, surfing the Web, taking pictures, or anything else that takes your focus off the road. Sign up to become an It Can Wait advocate. You can download videos, purchase bumper stickers, and find a tool you can embed in your website to help drive pledges.

2. Get your business onboard.

Urge your employees to sign the pledge. Let your customers know by putting an It Can Wait sticker in your business window. Post a message on your website and use your social networks to let others know you took the pledge. Don’t encourage the behavior, either. If you know an employee or friend is behind the wheel, wait to call or send a text. Talk to your peers and others in your community about becoming advocates.

3. Use technology.

In my last blog post, I described three mobile apps that can help improve driver safety – AT&T DriveMode® sends an “out-of-office”-style email alert; Associate PLEDGE® helps business owners restrict driver usage of their mobile devices; and SafeCell Enterprise® powered by AT&T, lets businesses monitor their employees’ driving habits. Use these apps to help keep texting out of vehicles.

Make a lasting impact

When you take the pledge, you can nominate a local K-12 school for a chance to receive an It Can Wait educational program and a $1,000 donation from AT&T. This simple action can be a powerful way to teach the next generation of drivers about the dangers of distracted driving and make a lasting contribution to your community. You and your business will also be featured in an It Can Wait video, bringing media exposure to your business.

Now’s the time to become an It Can Wait advocate. With your help, we can make the roads safer for everyone.

What are you doing to end texting and driving? Let us know in comments below.

]]>0Make Online Security a Top Business Priority http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/small-business/make-online-security-a-top-business-priority/
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Lisa Durrett http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/author/lisa-durrettSecurity|Security in the Enterprise|Small Businesshttp://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/?p=32899With all of the big fish in your industry — global corporations, store chains, and the like — you may wonder why a cyber criminal would target your small business.

First, a frightening fact: Nearly one in five cyber attacks are against small businesses, according to 2013 Congressional testimony. The reason? Hackers know most small business owners are not worried about an attack and therefore leave their companies exposed to easy hacking.

The really bad news is that a single attack can be devastating. A cyber intrusion typically requires more than two days to resolve and costs a small business $8,000 a year. With that kind of damage, it’s not surprising that 70 percent of small businesses go belly up within a year of a severe data loss.

Given this, I find it remarkable that only a third of small businesses are very concerned about computer security threats, according to the 2013 AT&T Small Business Data Security Poll. Clearly, this situation needs to change. So what are the best ways to thwart a cyber attack?

1. Don’t install an off-the-shelf package and then forget about it. Cyber criminals’ tactics are evolving constantly, and the makers of antivirus packages do what they can to keep pace. Keep your software updated to help protect against the newest threats.

2.Back up business information remotely. Copy your important files to third-party servers in the cloud so your data will be safe in case onsite computers are attacked. Some systems let you retain older versions of files, which can help you track projects easily.

3.Think twice before clicking on a link or attachment that looks suspicious. Teach your employees to be wary of attachments. Refresh training regularly to make sure all employees are knowledgeable. Use a web browser that delivers an alert if a website you want to visit could be insecure.

4. Choose strong passwords. We’re all asked for so many passwords, many of us fall back on using an easy one, like the name of a significant other or a bank card PIN code. This is a bad idea. Here are some ways to create passwords that really work. Teach these principles to your employees and make sure they change their passwords regularly.

5.Make sure encryption protects your entire system. Encryption should protect your server, desktops, laptops, and those little thumb drives that tend to disappear from the office. All a hacker needs is a little hole to launch a successful attack that affects the whole business.

6. Get help to do it right. If you run a small business, security may not be top of mind because there are so many other things to think about. If this is your case, choose an Internet provider that offers online tech support and can do the worrying for you.

How have you safeguarded your business? Share your tips with others.

]]>0Texting And Driving—Yes, It Can Wait! http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/small-business/texting-and-driving-yes-it-can-wait/
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Lisa Durrett http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/author/lisa-durrettMobile Business Technology|Mobility|Small Businesshttp://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/?p=32404I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat at a stoplight and watched someone texting in the car beside me. The problem isn’t isolated to text-happy teens, either. Drivers of all ages use their smartphones to text, check email, search for addresses, and make calls—too often at very high speeds.

Texting and driving is a deadly mix. In fact, it causes more than 100,000 vehicle crashes each year, according to the National Safety Council. These distractions are also creating big problems for businesses with employees on the road. As a business owner, you can take the lead by asking your employees—and your friends and family—to take the pledge to never text and drive.

Follow these four steps to help change bad habits:

1. Develop a no-texting policy

Establish a mobile device usage policy for your company and get your staff to make a commitment to follow it. This is especially important if you have employees who travel frequently. Introduce your team to the AT&T It Can Wait® program, where they can learn more about the dangers of using mobile devices while driving.

2. Turn to technology

Technology can help make keeping drivers focused a little easier. These three mobile apps can help:

AT&T DriveMode® helps to reduce distractions by automatically replying to incoming texts, emails and calls with an message similar to an “out-of-office” email alert. I love the simplicity behind this app. It’s so easy to let others know you’re busy driving and will get back to them shortly.

Associate PLEDGE® can help pinpoint employees who put your company at risk. Not only does it notify you in near real time when they are breaking your no-text policy, it also lets you restrict device usage when a vehicle is moving. What I like about this app is that it may reduce your liability and insurance costs. It would be a good solution for mobile employees, fleet drivers, and sales teams who are on the road a lot or who operate company vehicles.

SafeCell Enterprise® powered By AT&T tracks and reinforces good driving habits by letting you monitor your employees driving habits. Like Associate PLEDGE, I like how this app allows you to block web browsing and texting when vehicles are on the road. This app would be a good fit for businesses with commercial fleets, and it can integrate with many fleet management solutions.

3. Monitor driving habits

An easy way to ensure your employees follow safe driving habits is to put responsible people behind the wheel. Check prospective hires’ driving records and keep track of your team’s driving records on an ongoing basis. Post progress reports where everyone can see them.

4. Become an advocate

Sign up to become an It Can Wait advocate. On the website, you’ll find resources to help educate your employees, customers, and others in your community and convince them to make a personal commitment not to text and drive. Ask others to take the pledge to never drive while distracted.

Have you signed the no-text pledge? Do you have a mobile device usage policy? Share your experiences below.

]]>0Squeeze More Time From Your Day http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/small-business/squeeze-more-time-from-your-day/
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Lisa Durrett http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/author/lisa-durrettSmall Businesshttp://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/?p=31975The pace of business seems to get faster every day. The good news is, the more you embrace technology to help manage your time, the more you can get done. According to a recent poll, 46 percent of small businesses plan to upgrade their broadband technology in order to increase productivity.

Let’s look at some of the ways you can squeeze more time out of your own day where and when it matters most:

At the office

For many of us, the office is where we spend the most time, so it pays to increase productivity where you work. And I hear from business owners time and again that the biggest drain on personal productivity is the dreaded email in-box. Yes, it’s time to take charge of your email once and for all!

Consider upgrading your email server to one with greater capacity so your system will function faster and with fewer glitches. Be sure to have enough bandwidth so you’re not always waiting for files to download.

Since email flows into your account all the time, you need to control that flow. Turn off new message alerts on your computer and your smartphone so you aren’t distracted by what’s coming in. This will let you check your email when the time is right for you.

On the go

The Pew Research Center reports that more than one-third of U.S. adults now own a tablet, almost double the rate from a year ago, and there’s good reason why. Tablets are really becoming an effective way to work.

Using a tablet as a complement to your PC or smartphone offers the best of all worlds for a business owner—mobility and convenience, with a portable keyboard for easier typing so you can access your information at meetings in or out of the office.

Certain apps are specifically designed for the touchpad on a tablet that can give you greater efficiencies to manage your calendar and tasks, set up meetings, hold video conferences, and share your screen.

Many tablets are now optimized for virtual private network (VPN) network capabilities to support voice, data, and other business applications into a single private network transmitted over the Internet.

At home

For better or worse, the days of leaving your work at the office are becoming a thing of the past, especially when you’re the owner. Even Don Draper on “Mad Men” carries a big briefcase home. (Imagine what he could do with a wired apartment.)

Your laptop or tablet alone may not be enough. Set up a wired home office that’s optimized for efficiency. With a VPN and the right tools, you can access work files securely, catch up on your accounting, or finish that presentation you’ve been working on with no distractions.

Cloud-based phone and fax solutions can keep you in touch with the office electronically when time is of the essence. You’re able to direct calls to any phone, mobile, office, or home number and display your business number as your caller ID when making U.S. and international calls.

Integrated web, audio and video conferencing capabilities enable you to stay in touch with clients from the comfort of your home anytime, while cloud services let you collaborate with employees by sharing files, calendars, contacts, tasks, and notes.

What tips have you found helpful to increase productivity in or out of your office? Please share them below.

*The AT&T Accelerate Your Business Broadband Poll was conducted among a representative sample of 616 principals of companies in the United States with 1 to 20 employees by Bredin Inc. in April-May 2013. The poll had a margin of error of +/-5 percentage points at the 90 percent level of confidence.

]]>0Are You Keeping Up With The Online Joneses? http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/small-business/are-you-keeping-up-with-the-online-joneses/
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Lisa Durrett http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/author/lisa-durrettSocial Media|Workforce Collaborationhttp://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/?p=30193I think we all know that old familiar saying, “Keeping up with the Joneses,” but lately it seems to me that social media has taken this phenomenon to a whole new level. But if you are a small business owner looking for the best ways to market your business online, I suspect this might work a little bit differently. In fact, many small business owners are looking at the tools their peers use and how they use them, and then trying to go one step beyond.

The results of the recent 2013 AT&T Small Business Technology Poll were very revealing in the area. They confirmed that staying competitive is a key motivator behind using social media platforms and online tools. They also showed how businesses are using these tools and how this has evolved over time.

Here’s where the social networks ranked with the small businesses polled:

1. Facebook

No surprise here. Facebook is still the top platform among the business owners polled, despite a small drop in users (from 44% last year to 41% this year). The overwhelming majority use it to share news and communicate with customers.

2. LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s popularity among small business owners has received its share of media attention recently. This poll appears to support this, showing its use grew from 31% last year to 36% this year. Business owners use LinkedIn mostly to network with peers. With this increase, perhaps LinkedIn is becoming important as a way to customers for some small businesses.

3. Twitter

Only 17% of the business owners polled have a Twitter feed. While that number has changed little over the past couple of years, small businesses are becoming more savvy in the way they use Twitter, making it a tool for generating sales an important way to generate (19% this year vs. 13% last year).

4. Foursquare

Though just 6% of businesses use location-based services like foursquare, 29% of those who do see them as an important way to generate sales—a higher percentage than any other platform. Business owners can set up an account for free and begin posting specials to attract customers nearby—for example, a discount on a cup of coffee or a free dessert with a meal purchase.

This year’s poll also asked about relative newcomers Pinterest and Instagram. While the results indicate that just a small percent of small businesses use these sites now (5% and 3%, respectively), I think it shows promise in how they can generate sales and promote new products and services.

Email still delivers

Another key finding from the poll is that email—though virtually an ancient tool in the online world—is still the most common one that small businesses turn to for reaching out to their customers and prospects. A whopping 97% of those polled use it, and 53% of those who do say it’s the best way to communicate with customers. (Facebook and a business website came in at just 14% each.) Chalk up one for the little engine that still can!

While email’s dominance might seem surprising, it actually dovetails with an earlier blog post of mine, which shows consumers also still prefer email.

One finding that especially stood out to me, was that video conferencing services ranked as the second-best way to communicate with customers. The business owners polled indicated that they rely heavily on these tools to help improve customer service. With all that’s been written today about using social media for customer service, it’s refreshing to see businesses choosing to resolve issues face-to-face.

Ultimately, you should choose the marketing tools that are the best fit for your business, and not necessarily what your competitors are using. It’s important to monitor your progress through sales, customer response, website visits, or other metrics that are meaningful to you.

Which online tactics do you find most effective? Let us know in comments below.

]]>0Ring Up Higher Sales With Mobile Emails http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/small-business/ring-up-higher-sales-with-mobile-emails/
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http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/14-01-04-ring-up-higher-sales-with_25386.jpg Fri, 04 Jan 2013 15:10:53 +0000Blogring_up_higher_sales_with_mobile_emails
Lisa Durrett http://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/author/lisa-durrettMobile Business Technology|Mobility|Small Businesshttp://networkingexchangeblog.att.com/?p=25386I’ve heard from several small business owners who are experimenting with mobile apps, text messaging, online video, and other forms of digital marketing. Even with all these new tactics, there’s another one we can’t forget: email.

Old-fashioned as it sounds, email is still one of the most effective forms of outreach for small businesses. In a 2012 survey by ExactTarget®, 77 percent of consumers cited email as their preferred way to receive permission-based messages. However, smartphone usage is changing how we should approach email marketing in a big way. It’s estimated that 15 to 20% of emails are now being opened on mobile devices, so if you aren’t designing your emails with this in mind, you’re probably losing business.

Here are three ways to help get more mileage from your emails:

1. Think fingers

I recently received an email from a local health-food store that invited me to tap on a photo of its storefront. The store’s website then opened in my smartphone browser. This makes more sense than using a tiny “Click here” link. Why? People don’t click on messages received on smartphones — they touch. Use buttons instead of hyperlinks and make them easy to spot and press. You can also add color to help make the buttons stand out.

Scrolling is cumbersome on a smartphone, so keep your emails short, crisp, and to the point. Your headlines must deliver a knockout punch, and your call to action (CTA) should appear on the first screen. Consider placing the CTA both up top and at the end if your message requires scrolling.

Include social sharing buttons at the bottom of your emails so recipients can spread your message via networks like Facebook and Twitter. If your CTA links to a landing page, that page also needs to be optimized for mobile devices. Remove any JavaScript or Flash to help the page render properly.

2. Reach customers on the go

Messages created for people sitting at their desktops aren’t always suitable for someone walking down a street. If you have five seconds to grab a desktop user’s attention, you have less than two seconds to do the same on a smartphone. How can you make your email more appealing to someone on the go? Some recipients may not want to visit an e-commerce site but would stop by your business if the incentive is right. Consider a discount or other perk if the recipient visits within two hours of receiving the message.

If you offer a professional service, ask recipients to press a big tap-to-call number. Since your targets are already holding a phone, a CTA that encourages calls makes perfect sense. Last week my yoga studio sent an email reminding me that I needed to choose a new class schedule. I tapped on the call button and had it all done in seconds.

3. Simplify the design

I really can’t add up how many emails I’ve deleted simply because they’re unreadable on my smartphone. Unless I know they’re important, it’s not worth the effort! Here’s how to make sure your emails don’t suffer a similar fate:

Narrow the width so the entire email can appear on small screens. Most smartphones can handle a width of 480 pixels or less. Some devices automatically re-size emails to fit, but don’t count on this working perfectly.

Limit the number of graphics, as images may fail to appear on smartphones. Work around this by including a pre-header — text at the top of the email — that asks viewers to enable the images.

Develop a text version for recipients whose devices can’t display HTML. They can tell you which version they want to receive when they opt in to your email program. Always test the versions on various mobile devices.

How are you using it to increase sales and grow your business? I’d love to hear your ideas. Please share your experiences and tips below.